Dengue fever is caused by one of four different but related viruses. It is spread by the bite of mosquitoes, most commonly the mosquito
Aedes aegypti
, which is found in tropic and subtropic regions. This area includes parts of:

Indonesian archipelago into northeastern Australia

South and Central America

Southeast Asia

Sub-Saharan Africa

Some parts of the Caribbean

Dengue fever is being seen more often in world travelers.

Dengue fever should not be confused with Dengue hemorrhagic fever, which is a separate disease that is caused by the same type of virus, but has much more severe symptoms.

Dengue fever begins with a sudden high fever, often as high as 104 - 105 degrees Fahrenheit, 4 to 7 days after the infection.

A flat, red rash may appear over most of the body 2 to 5 days after the fever starts. A second rash, which looks like the measles, appears later in the disease. Infected people may have increased skin sensitivity and are very uncomfortable.

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